No Tracking Today since there's No Radio Coverage in Tijeras Canyon
We had planned to ride early today but it began raining almost immediately and continued until around noon. I loaded up the trailer and hauled trash to our local transfer station and by the time I got home the sun had come out and everything was sunny and mild.
I told Jacque I thought we could still squeeze in a trike ride and she quickly changed into her riding duds. By the time we drove off it had clouded up a bit again but it didn't look threatening. We decided to try a different route than we usually do. We thought about driving through Albuquerque and riding our favorite Bosque Trail but it seems silly to drive 20 miles so we can ride 10 or 15 miles on the trike (Athough we do exactly that several times a year).
We decided to park in Tijeras and ride old Route 66 into Albuquerque and then come back. (I was reminded after we got home to look at our Internet track that there is rarely any beacon coverage through that deepest part of Tijeras Canyon, and there was no coverage today.
As we rode west from Tijeras to Albuquerque, we could see some clouds building up out west of Albuquerque. The closer we got to Albuquerque the closer and darker these clouds appeared. Just after hitting the city limits we turned around with great vigor, as President Kennedy used to say, and hurried as fast as we could go to get back to our vehicle and shelter. Which wasn't very fast, since it is mostly downhill coming TOWARD Albuquerque and obviously mostly uphill going back.... and of course we realized we now had a headwind. We made it a couple miles without much more than a drop or two hitting us and I thought we might make it safely ahead of the storm. However, I noticed off to our right in the canyons and hills of the Sandias surrounding us almost a solid wall of white stuff, and within a few minutes we were getting an irritating amount of rain in our face. Various businesses and homes were just off the side of the road but I noticed none with an open carport or overhang of any kind we might take shelter in temporarily. As we topped one long slow hill I noticed a sandstone rock outcropping just next to the road and at first thought it offered little or no shelter for us but as we passed by it directly I realized it did indeed have enough overhang to at least partially protect us. Passing it with renewed vigor and hoping to make it to the I-40 underpass just ahead (in which to shelter from the rain), it started SERIOUSLY raining... and snowing ... and SLEETING. We stopped and I ordered Jacque to get off and walk quickly back to the overhead rock shelter, since it took a few more minutes for me to turn the trike around and ride back to the shelter with the doggies. There wasn't enough overhang to protect the trike but the 4 of us (Jacque, Tinkerbell, Jazzy, and I) were able to stay relatively dry under the overhanging rock. We decided the storm wasn't going to clear up anytime soon, so I tried thumbing a ride. We were only a few miles from Tijeras where our vehicle was parked AND it was 4:30-ish quitting time and lots of traffic, but no one was interested in stopping for a soaked old biker with a soaked puppy strapped papoose-style on his belly. I finally tried calling a few potential friendly rescuers and finally caught my son Jake still at work, which was only a few miles from us. He agreed to come rescue us and was there within 20 minutes. The rain, meanwhile, had slowed and almost stopped and then started up again. The trike and panniers and accessories were well soaked. Jacque chose to stay with the trike and pups and protect them from all bad people and I rode with Jake to Tijeras. It probably took me 20 minutes to get back to Jacque, and we loaded up the soaked trike and gear in jig time.
We were disappointed not to complete our ride as planned, but we got several miles in anyway, and we absolutely cannot complain about rain and snow in our parched climate.
Trip Started: +- 2:00 PM Trip Ended: 5:55 PM
Lowest Temp 37 F Highest Temp: 50 F
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles: 8.77
Overall average speed Moving Avg Max Speed
6.7 MPH 9.0 MPH 39.7 MPH
Total Trip time Moving Time Stopped Time
1 hour 19 mins 58 mins 31 secs 20 mins 29 secs
Friday, March 14, 2014
Wednesday, March 12, 2014
Windy Wednesday Triking
Today's Tracking via APRS and Ham Radio
Jacque and I squoze in a ride on the trike today. It was a struggle to make time for it.... it's ALWAYS a struggle to find time for exercise of any kind, much less stress-free shock-free fun aerobic exercise (i.e., cycling).
Yesterday was sucked dry by a failing dishwasher that wet the floor and made a mess. Monday afternoon was when this occurred and yesterday we went to town, spent a few hundred, and brought home a "new" GE dishwasher that had been sold and returned and declared to be totally functional. Trouble is, the returned dishwasher had no box, it was shrink wrapped to a pallet so it couldn't be opened for inspection, and many installation parts were missing. We got it for less than a third of the listed price so we were motivated to put up with a few shortcomings. The water inlet was located in a different location, so I was unable to finish the installation and test the washer until today. It seemed to start and run OK with almost a full load of dishes...... but it seemed to take forever to get through the wash cycles. It had been running over an hour when we finally left for our trike ride and ....... wait for it...... it was STILL RUNNING when we got home, for a total of over 4 hours. Jacque turned it off manually and called the store and of course they told us it would have to be brought in. Later today I remembered a weird thing I spotted when I was installing the monster: A pair of wires leading to a thermal sensor that was not attached to anything; it was just hanging by a plastic zip-tie to a part of the undercarriage. I suspect it is supposed to be mounted somewhere that it can sense the dishwasher temperature to indicate when the temp is hot enough to continue the wash cycle. Tomorrow I'm going to look into that before we take the machine back to the store. I'm more than willing to put in a bit more labor to avoid having to pay more money for another "discounted" dishwasher.
Oh, Yeah, the Trike Ride.... it turned out to be windy-er and much nippier than we expected. It was sunny and beautiful but COLD and sharp. We didn't really suffer..... it was just not that comfortable to ride like we are spoiled to expect.
Jacque has a new bike computer mounted on her stoker handlebars that reads out speed, elapsed time, yada, yada. It recorded us making close to 40 MPH today whilst we pedaled furiously in tallest chain-rings smoking it downhill. My Garmin GPS recorded a max speed of slightly over 30 MPH.... I daresay I need to calibrate the bike computer. It uses a magnet mounted on the rear wheel to count revolutions and is supposed to be calibrated to the 20" wheel diameter. It may be a bit off. I tend to trust GPS readings but I could be mistaken......
Trip Started: 1:48 PM Trip Ended: 2:55 PM
Beginning Battery Voltage: 13.0 Ending Voltage: 12.9
Lowest Temp 45 F Highest Temp: 50 F
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles: 6.03
Overall average speed Moving Avg Max Speed
5.9 MPH 7.2 MPH 31.2 MPH
Total Trip time Moving Time Stopped Time
1 hour 1 minute 50 mins 35 secs 10 mins 25 secs
Jacque and I squoze in a ride on the trike today. It was a struggle to make time for it.... it's ALWAYS a struggle to find time for exercise of any kind, much less stress-free shock-free fun aerobic exercise (i.e., cycling).
Yesterday was sucked dry by a failing dishwasher that wet the floor and made a mess. Monday afternoon was when this occurred and yesterday we went to town, spent a few hundred, and brought home a "new" GE dishwasher that had been sold and returned and declared to be totally functional. Trouble is, the returned dishwasher had no box, it was shrink wrapped to a pallet so it couldn't be opened for inspection, and many installation parts were missing. We got it for less than a third of the listed price so we were motivated to put up with a few shortcomings. The water inlet was located in a different location, so I was unable to finish the installation and test the washer until today. It seemed to start and run OK with almost a full load of dishes...... but it seemed to take forever to get through the wash cycles. It had been running over an hour when we finally left for our trike ride and ....... wait for it...... it was STILL RUNNING when we got home, for a total of over 4 hours. Jacque turned it off manually and called the store and of course they told us it would have to be brought in. Later today I remembered a weird thing I spotted when I was installing the monster: A pair of wires leading to a thermal sensor that was not attached to anything; it was just hanging by a plastic zip-tie to a part of the undercarriage. I suspect it is supposed to be mounted somewhere that it can sense the dishwasher temperature to indicate when the temp is hot enough to continue the wash cycle. Tomorrow I'm going to look into that before we take the machine back to the store. I'm more than willing to put in a bit more labor to avoid having to pay more money for another "discounted" dishwasher.
Oh, Yeah, the Trike Ride.... it turned out to be windy-er and much nippier than we expected. It was sunny and beautiful but COLD and sharp. We didn't really suffer..... it was just not that comfortable to ride like we are spoiled to expect.
Jacque has a new bike computer mounted on her stoker handlebars that reads out speed, elapsed time, yada, yada. It recorded us making close to 40 MPH today whilst we pedaled furiously in tallest chain-rings smoking it downhill. My Garmin GPS recorded a max speed of slightly over 30 MPH.... I daresay I need to calibrate the bike computer. It uses a magnet mounted on the rear wheel to count revolutions and is supposed to be calibrated to the 20" wheel diameter. It may be a bit off. I tend to trust GPS readings but I could be mistaken......
Trip Started: 1:48 PM Trip Ended: 2:55 PM
Beginning Battery Voltage: 13.0 Ending Voltage: 12.9
Lowest Temp 45 F Highest Temp: 50 F
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles: 6.03
Overall average speed Moving Avg Max Speed
5.9 MPH 7.2 MPH 31.2 MPH
Total Trip time Moving Time Stopped Time
1 hour 1 minute 50 mins 35 secs 10 mins 25 secs
Monday, March 10, 2014
If Only I Could Ride Every Day...
Today's repetitive tracking via APRS and Ham Radio
Jazzy and I just did a "mail run" and then a leg 'n loop to the east along Frost Road. I lost my highest 2 gears for some reason on the recumbent bike... a cursory examination seemed to show the derailleur bracket may have slipped around to a poor position preventing shifting to those gears. Will look more closely and see if adjustments or repairs can quickly fix it in time for another ride tomorrow. (I just noticed my average speed is HIGHER than normal, in spite of not being able to get into higher gears, go figure)
But, hey, this may be a new record for me... 8 days straight without missing at least a short ride.
I DID realize that 4:30-ish is a terrible time to be riding a bike along Frost Road. Hundreds and hundreds of hurrying motorists obviously coming home from Albuquerque, Sandia Labs, etc, etc, made life a lot more annoying than it needed to be. No incidents, just lots of traffic with few openings to get in and out of the road, cross streets, etc.
Trip Started: 3:29 PM Trip Ended: 5:50 PM
Beginning Battery Voltage: 13.1 Ending Voltage: 13.1
Lowest Temp 60 F Highest Temp: 71 F
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles: 14.43
Overall average speed Moving Avg Max Speed
6.4 MPH 9.2 MPH 31.5 MPH
Total Trip time Moving Time Stopped Time
2 hours 16 mins 1 hour 33 mins 42 mins 5 seconds
Jazzy and I just did a "mail run" and then a leg 'n loop to the east along Frost Road. I lost my highest 2 gears for some reason on the recumbent bike... a cursory examination seemed to show the derailleur bracket may have slipped around to a poor position preventing shifting to those gears. Will look more closely and see if adjustments or repairs can quickly fix it in time for another ride tomorrow. (I just noticed my average speed is HIGHER than normal, in spite of not being able to get into higher gears, go figure)
But, hey, this may be a new record for me... 8 days straight without missing at least a short ride.
I DID realize that 4:30-ish is a terrible time to be riding a bike along Frost Road. Hundreds and hundreds of hurrying motorists obviously coming home from Albuquerque, Sandia Labs, etc, etc, made life a lot more annoying than it needed to be. No incidents, just lots of traffic with few openings to get in and out of the road, cross streets, etc.
Trip Started: 3:29 PM Trip Ended: 5:50 PM
Beginning Battery Voltage: 13.1 Ending Voltage: 13.1
Lowest Temp 60 F Highest Temp: 71 F
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles: 14.43
Overall average speed Moving Avg Max Speed
6.4 MPH 9.2 MPH 31.5 MPH
Total Trip time Moving Time Stopped Time
2 hours 16 mins 1 hour 33 mins 42 mins 5 seconds
Sunday, March 9, 2014
Home Teaching on the Trike
Today's Tracking via APRS and Ham Radio
In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Commonly called Mormons) we have a program for visiting each other in our homes to fellowship and strengthen each other, and help each other out when possible. We call it Home Teaching.
Jacque and I were recently assigned to visit a young family not far from where we live, consisting of the Mom, Dad, 6 sons, and 1 daughter. We have bonded with them as friends almost immediately, after our first visit a couple months ago. This Sunday afternoon, after church meetings were over, it was a BEAUTIFUL day, warm and bright and sunny. We had warned the family we might try to ride our trike over for our scheduled visit today, and we could not resist getting in the miles on the trike as well as visiting with a very enjoyable family. The weather was absolutely calm and balmy when we unsaddled the trike off the rooftop carrier and we worried a bit we might actually get overheated during the ride, but a mild breeze arose which kept us at almost perfect temperatures. Sweet.
It was only about 4 miles to their place so it didn't take us too long to arrive in their front driveway. We could see a couple of their older boys frolicking in the front yard as we approached, and the younger ones were watching us intently through the front windows as we pulled up and dismounted. It turned out they had been feverishly watching for us for the previous half hour or more, and had even spotted us with binoculars as we made the turn off Frost Road on their street and made the last half mile to their house. They had never seen a recumbent trike before so we were a big hit for family excitement. We visited with them, as usual enjoying the heck out of them, for over an hour and then finally forced ourselves to leave so they could get on with their own family activities for the rest of the evening. They all followed us out to the trike, wanting to watch us load up and taking lots of pictures. The next-to-youngest son couldn't seem to back away and let us go; he kept climbing up in Jacque's seat on the trike. Jacque asked him if he wanted to go for a ride and OF COURSE he did. He was much too short to reach the pedals so Jacque coached him how to sit scrunched up on the seat so his legs and feet wouldn't get caught in the pedals while riding, and off we went. We only rode a couple hundred yards or so down their driveway and up the road, then turned around and came back. I asked "OK, Who's Next?" and all lined up to take their turn. I didn't keep count but it seemed all lined up and took rides with me, even the sole girl of the family who is only 3 or 4 years old, who had to ride in Jacque's lap since she was so small. Their youngest, the baby boy, was asleep so we didn't get to give him the cheap thrill. What a hoot. The 2 oldest boys were the only ones tall enough to help pedal.
I was getting a bit winded by the time all got their turn, but with Jacque again in the stoker position we were able to take off and climb the mild hills on the way back home and rejoice in a really fun visit and a truly wonderful ride.
Trip Started: 3:21 PM Trip Ended: 5:42 PM
Beginning Battery Voltage: 13.5 Ending Voltage: 13.1
Lowest Temp 55 F Highest Temp: 65 F
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles: 7.82
Overall average speed Moving Avg Max Speed
5.8 MPH 7.4 MPH 27.7 MPH
Total Trip time Moving Time Stopped Time
2 hours 20 mins 1 hour 3 mins 1 hour 22 mins
In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Commonly called Mormons) we have a program for visiting each other in our homes to fellowship and strengthen each other, and help each other out when possible. We call it Home Teaching.
Jacque and I were recently assigned to visit a young family not far from where we live, consisting of the Mom, Dad, 6 sons, and 1 daughter. We have bonded with them as friends almost immediately, after our first visit a couple months ago. This Sunday afternoon, after church meetings were over, it was a BEAUTIFUL day, warm and bright and sunny. We had warned the family we might try to ride our trike over for our scheduled visit today, and we could not resist getting in the miles on the trike as well as visiting with a very enjoyable family. The weather was absolutely calm and balmy when we unsaddled the trike off the rooftop carrier and we worried a bit we might actually get overheated during the ride, but a mild breeze arose which kept us at almost perfect temperatures. Sweet.
It was only about 4 miles to their place so it didn't take us too long to arrive in their front driveway. We could see a couple of their older boys frolicking in the front yard as we approached, and the younger ones were watching us intently through the front windows as we pulled up and dismounted. It turned out they had been feverishly watching for us for the previous half hour or more, and had even spotted us with binoculars as we made the turn off Frost Road on their street and made the last half mile to their house. They had never seen a recumbent trike before so we were a big hit for family excitement. We visited with them, as usual enjoying the heck out of them, for over an hour and then finally forced ourselves to leave so they could get on with their own family activities for the rest of the evening. They all followed us out to the trike, wanting to watch us load up and taking lots of pictures. The next-to-youngest son couldn't seem to back away and let us go; he kept climbing up in Jacque's seat on the trike. Jacque asked him if he wanted to go for a ride and OF COURSE he did. He was much too short to reach the pedals so Jacque coached him how to sit scrunched up on the seat so his legs and feet wouldn't get caught in the pedals while riding, and off we went. We only rode a couple hundred yards or so down their driveway and up the road, then turned around and came back. I asked "OK, Who's Next?" and all lined up to take their turn. I didn't keep count but it seemed all lined up and took rides with me, even the sole girl of the family who is only 3 or 4 years old, who had to ride in Jacque's lap since she was so small. Their youngest, the baby boy, was asleep so we didn't get to give him the cheap thrill. What a hoot. The 2 oldest boys were the only ones tall enough to help pedal.
Trip Started: 3:21 PM Trip Ended: 5:42 PM
Beginning Battery Voltage: 13.5 Ending Voltage: 13.1
Lowest Temp 55 F Highest Temp: 65 F
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles: 7.82
Overall average speed Moving Avg Max Speed
5.8 MPH 7.4 MPH 27.7 MPH
Total Trip time Moving Time Stopped Time
2 hours 20 mins 1 hour 3 mins 1 hour 22 mins
Saturday, March 8, 2014
Mail Run in the Snow
Today's Boring Track Provided by APRS and Ham Radio
My sweet lover Jacque stated yesterday that "We should go on a Trike ride tomorrow!!" And So We Did.
This, in spite of it having been snowing lightly all morning; what we in the Great Southwest commonly call a "Ten Foot Snow": About ten feet between snowflakes. It wasn't very warm but not very cold either in terms of early March weather: It was in the low 40's when we left the house and we decided there wasn't enough snow to worry about then or later impending.
However, it was cold enough that Jazzie was shivering when we finally saddled up and got rolling. She seemed to warm up a bit and calm down as we rode, all snuggled up to my chest in the puppy belly-pack papoose carrier. Tink, however, whined and complained most of the way uphill to the Post Office, even though Jacque had snuggled her up in my toasty jacket I had removed before riding. She didn't seem to be shivering but she was less than happy for the ride up the grade. Coming back, she was not whiney at all, even though our speed is much faster that direction and much colder for us as a result.
We as usual rode on up to the Shell Snack Station after the Post Office stop, both for snacks and bathroom breaks for all 4 of us.
The folks there are very tolerant and allow us to bring our riding companions inside with us.
Afterwards, We sorta thought we might ride around a bit further since the weather was still sorta murky and cloudy but not threatening. Howsomever, by the time we got back to where the dinosaur-powered transport vehicle was parked, we were thoroughly chilled and our motivation had all leaked out somewhere along the way.
We encountered another spotty sign along the bike path that has been vandalized with unreadable graffiti....
Now that we're safely home again I need to re-stock the firewood supply out on the deck in case it really does get cold again. We have only needed fire in the stove in the early mornings and later evenings, but the forecast and cloudiness portend possible snow and cold.
A few other minor projects need tending to as well.....
Trip Started: 12:25 AM Trip Ended: 1:36 PM
Beginning Battery Voltage: 13.2 Ending Voltage: 13.1
Lowest Temp 40.2 F Highest Temp: 48.2 F
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles: 4.32
Overall average speed Moving Avg Max Speed
2.1 MPH 5.4 MPH 31.0 MPH
Total Trip time Moving Time Stopped Time
2 hours 1 mins 48 mins 6 secs 1 hour 12 mins
My sweet lover Jacque stated yesterday that "We should go on a Trike ride tomorrow!!" And So We Did.
This, in spite of it having been snowing lightly all morning; what we in the Great Southwest commonly call a "Ten Foot Snow": About ten feet between snowflakes. It wasn't very warm but not very cold either in terms of early March weather: It was in the low 40's when we left the house and we decided there wasn't enough snow to worry about then or later impending.
However, it was cold enough that Jazzie was shivering when we finally saddled up and got rolling. She seemed to warm up a bit and calm down as we rode, all snuggled up to my chest in the puppy belly-pack papoose carrier. Tink, however, whined and complained most of the way uphill to the Post Office, even though Jacque had snuggled her up in my toasty jacket I had removed before riding. She didn't seem to be shivering but she was less than happy for the ride up the grade. Coming back, she was not whiney at all, even though our speed is much faster that direction and much colder for us as a result.
We as usual rode on up to the Shell Snack Station after the Post Office stop, both for snacks and bathroom breaks for all 4 of us.
The folks there are very tolerant and allow us to bring our riding companions inside with us.
 |
| Jazzie Sweetly Begging for Popcorn |
 |
| Tinkerbell Patiently(?) Awaiting Popcorn |
Afterwards, We sorta thought we might ride around a bit further since the weather was still sorta murky and cloudy but not threatening. Howsomever, by the time we got back to where the dinosaur-powered transport vehicle was parked, we were thoroughly chilled and our motivation had all leaked out somewhere along the way.
We encountered another spotty sign along the bike path that has been vandalized with unreadable graffiti....
Now that we're safely home again I need to re-stock the firewood supply out on the deck in case it really does get cold again. We have only needed fire in the stove in the early mornings and later evenings, but the forecast and cloudiness portend possible snow and cold.
A few other minor projects need tending to as well.....
Trip Started: 12:25 AM Trip Ended: 1:36 PM
Beginning Battery Voltage: 13.2 Ending Voltage: 13.1
Lowest Temp 40.2 F Highest Temp: 48.2 F
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles: 4.32
Overall average speed Moving Avg Max Speed
2.1 MPH 5.4 MPH 31.0 MPH
Total Trip time Moving Time Stopped Time
2 hours 1 mins 48 mins 6 secs 1 hour 12 mins
Friday, March 7, 2014
Short but Intense Mail Run
Today's Tracking, not much to See
Just a short trip to the Post Office this morning, since we have to leave soon for the Big City (Albuquerque).
This ride involved cloudiness, again, and fairly high winds. There were big black clouds a-gathering as I rode back home that portend a possible storm, hopefully with more snow or rain.
No strange encounters to report today... just a boring 5-mile ride.
Still felt great after getting home, showering, and cooling off.....
Ride Started: 10:38 AM Ride Ended: 11:31 AM
Starting Battery Voltage: 14.0 Ending Voltage: 13.1
Lowest Temp 45 F Highest Temp: 56 F
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles: 5.67
Overall average speed Moving Avg Max Speed
5.8 MPH 7.4 MPH 27.7 MPH
Total Trip time Moving Time Stopped Time
58 mins 10 secs 45 mins 34 secs 12 mins 50 secs
Just a short trip to the Post Office this morning, since we have to leave soon for the Big City (Albuquerque).
This ride involved cloudiness, again, and fairly high winds. There were big black clouds a-gathering as I rode back home that portend a possible storm, hopefully with more snow or rain.
No strange encounters to report today... just a boring 5-mile ride.
Still felt great after getting home, showering, and cooling off.....
Ride Started: 10:38 AM Ride Ended: 11:31 AM
Starting Battery Voltage: 14.0 Ending Voltage: 13.1
Lowest Temp 45 F Highest Temp: 56 F
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles: 5.67
Overall average speed Moving Avg Max Speed
5.8 MPH 7.4 MPH 27.7 MPH
Total Trip time Moving Time Stopped Time
58 mins 10 secs 45 mins 34 secs 12 mins 50 secs
Thursday, March 6, 2014
20-Mile Lunch Trip Thursday
Tracking through the East Mountains via Ham Radio
Had a monthly lunch date with Paul N5DBB today, which provided a perfect excuse for a somewhat longer ride than usual: we met at the East Mountain Grille just north of Edgewood.
The wind was a bit brisk; normal for March, one might suppose. The sunsine was also a bit scarce but the temperatures worked out just about right. I didn't have to layer up with a jacket or windbreaker and only had to rip open my da-glow velcro-zipped Tee shirt after a couple miles and upon climbing the first small hill along the way.
Jacque got on one of her sewing surges this morning and made me a standout pennant to hang on one of my bike's tall flagpole / ham antennas.
Yellow and Red: What an eye-catching combination.
As I was riding toward Edgewood at about the halfway mark, I turned south on Mountain Valley Road and started climbing that mild hill. As I was chugging along, I suddenly heard out of nowhere "HI! How Are You??" I realized another cyclist had snuck up on me from behind and when I looked to my immediate left I was pleasantly surprised to see a VERY low-slung black recumbent 2-wheeler. He must have been coming west on Frost Road and saw me make the turn and took a short detour to just come say HI and exchange greetings. This is quite unusual in my cycling experience: Most cyclists are much too focused to bother with anything like detouring and saying HI. This guy admired my new striped yellow-and-red antenna/flag, asked about the bike, expressed surprise it was homebuilt, etc. His was a very slick recumbent and looked very fast.
After about a quarter of a mile he announced he was actually on his way to "Do Heartbreak Hill", a 15% grade hill up near Golden that I've ridden only twice: Once uphill (walked the bike up most of it) and once downhill, coming the other way north out of Edgewood. I wished him well as he turned around and left. Very nice of him to detour and visit with me.
Paul and I had a great lunch of enchiladas and beans. While "saddling up" the bike for the ride back, another cafe patron came out and commented good-naturedly: "Bet you get really good mileage out of that rig." I rarely can come up with instant comebacks and today was no exception.
Just after leaving the restaurant I decided I'd had enough shifting problems and it was time to actually do something about it. I hadn't been able to get into my biggest front chainring most of the way out, which didn't grieve me too much because a lot of the ride is mild climbing. Now, though, I needed that high gear, so I found a wide spot in the road, stood the bike on its dual kickstand, and dug out the tool stash in the pannier. I worried the cable might be fraying and ready to break but it seemed sound and re-routing the shift cable and minor adjustment of the shifter bracket at the chainrings cured the problem.
On the way back, the wind got even stiffer but still was not discouraging. While passing a dog barking his brains out, the digesting beans produced a small burst of methane. "This One's For You!" I told the dog.
Took me a while to cool off and get my breath evened out after getting home. Feeling the rush like a million bucks now.....
Ride Started: 9:58 AM Ride Ended: 2:55 PM
Starting Battery Voltage: 13.3 Ending Voltage: 13.0
Lowest Temp 45 F Highest Temp: 62 F
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles: 23.92
Overall average speed Moving Avg Max Speed
7.0 MPH 8.9 MPH 27.9 MPH
Total Trip time Moving Time Stopped Time
3 hours 25 minutes 2 hours 41 mins 44 mins 51 secs
Had a monthly lunch date with Paul N5DBB today, which provided a perfect excuse for a somewhat longer ride than usual: we met at the East Mountain Grille just north of Edgewood.
The wind was a bit brisk; normal for March, one might suppose. The sunsine was also a bit scarce but the temperatures worked out just about right. I didn't have to layer up with a jacket or windbreaker and only had to rip open my da-glow velcro-zipped Tee shirt after a couple miles and upon climbing the first small hill along the way.
Jacque got on one of her sewing surges this morning and made me a standout pennant to hang on one of my bike's tall flagpole / ham antennas.
 | ||
| Parked in Front of Thunder Mountain Volunteer Fire Dept |
 |
| Always Closed but a Great Place to Park out of the Roadway and Rest/Snack |
As I was riding toward Edgewood at about the halfway mark, I turned south on Mountain Valley Road and started climbing that mild hill. As I was chugging along, I suddenly heard out of nowhere "HI! How Are You??" I realized another cyclist had snuck up on me from behind and when I looked to my immediate left I was pleasantly surprised to see a VERY low-slung black recumbent 2-wheeler. He must have been coming west on Frost Road and saw me make the turn and took a short detour to just come say HI and exchange greetings. This is quite unusual in my cycling experience: Most cyclists are much too focused to bother with anything like detouring and saying HI. This guy admired my new striped yellow-and-red antenna/flag, asked about the bike, expressed surprise it was homebuilt, etc. His was a very slick recumbent and looked very fast.
After about a quarter of a mile he announced he was actually on his way to "Do Heartbreak Hill", a 15% grade hill up near Golden that I've ridden only twice: Once uphill (walked the bike up most of it) and once downhill, coming the other way north out of Edgewood. I wished him well as he turned around and left. Very nice of him to detour and visit with me.
Paul and I had a great lunch of enchiladas and beans. While "saddling up" the bike for the ride back, another cafe patron came out and commented good-naturedly: "Bet you get really good mileage out of that rig." I rarely can come up with instant comebacks and today was no exception.
Just after leaving the restaurant I decided I'd had enough shifting problems and it was time to actually do something about it. I hadn't been able to get into my biggest front chainring most of the way out, which didn't grieve me too much because a lot of the ride is mild climbing. Now, though, I needed that high gear, so I found a wide spot in the road, stood the bike on its dual kickstand, and dug out the tool stash in the pannier. I worried the cable might be fraying and ready to break but it seemed sound and re-routing the shift cable and minor adjustment of the shifter bracket at the chainrings cured the problem.
On the way back, the wind got even stiffer but still was not discouraging. While passing a dog barking his brains out, the digesting beans produced a small burst of methane. "This One's For You!" I told the dog.
Took me a while to cool off and get my breath evened out after getting home. Feeling the rush like a million bucks now.....
Ride Started: 9:58 AM Ride Ended: 2:55 PM
Starting Battery Voltage: 13.3 Ending Voltage: 13.0
Lowest Temp 45 F Highest Temp: 62 F
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles: 23.92
Overall average speed Moving Avg Max Speed
7.0 MPH 8.9 MPH 27.9 MPH
Total Trip time Moving Time Stopped Time
3 hours 25 minutes 2 hours 41 mins 44 mins 51 secs
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
Wednesday Wasn't Windy
GPS-Internet Tracking via APRS and Ham Radio
Jacque took both lap-doggies with her to a sewing group today, and the peace and quiet I enjoyed was marred by the lack of a busy-bee furry face constantly checking up on me. And riding around the neighborhood without the fuzzy face in my lap reduced the amount of stares and double-takes from passing motorists.
Yesterday I passed several other cyclists but today, no such luck.
I may start posting more of the odd signs I encounter riding around.
And other odd things found in the dirt along the road while taking breaks.....
It is still just a bit on the cool side, especially when smoking downhill without pedaling enough to stay heated up, but I KNOW I'm going to miss this cool weather soon when it heats up again and we get our Global Warming back.
I need to take longer rides - I'd like to do a Real Trip someday - but I just have too many things requiring me to return home too regularly. Such things as replacing the CB antenna on the RV that got scrubbed off recently, restocking the front deck with firewood (getting low and it's still COLD at night and in the mornings), working on autos, honeydew projects, etc, etc.
I'd been thinking about a 30-miler today looping around Guiterrez Canyon Road and coming back around along Route 66 and back home via Mountain Valley and Frost Road but decided to only do another 10 miles or so and call it good so I could have some time left to get some real work done that has higher priority than me staying in shape on 2 or 3 wheels.
Coming up south on Tumbleweed Road on the way back to Frost Road I encountered a couple of familiar mutts, all of whom love to run to their fences or the end of their tethers and woof at us cyclists. This pair, I noticed for the first time, were a bit old and slow but trying their best to rush to the fence and warn the world about us. Their 'woofs' were a bit muted as they huffed and puffed for breath and they were a bit gray and worn. Reminded me of me. I may start bringing doggie treats on rides.....
Ride Started: 12:16 PM Ride Ended: 2:00 PM
Starting Battery Voltage: 13.0 Ending Voltage: 12.7
Lowest Temp 50 F Highest Temp: 60 F
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles: 10.53
Overall average speed Moving Avg Max Speed
6.6 MPH 7.9 MPH 32.7 MPH
Total Trip time Moving Time Stopped Time
1 hour 35 minutes 1 hour 25 mins 22 mins 0 secs
Jacque took both lap-doggies with her to a sewing group today, and the peace and quiet I enjoyed was marred by the lack of a busy-bee furry face constantly checking up on me. And riding around the neighborhood without the fuzzy face in my lap reduced the amount of stares and double-takes from passing motorists.
Yesterday I passed several other cyclists but today, no such luck.
I may start posting more of the odd signs I encounter riding around.
 |
| "Bike Route" Frost Road |
 | |
| Old Unknown Sign in the Dirt. You can tell it used to be a sign cuz it's riddled with bullet holes |
I need to take longer rides - I'd like to do a Real Trip someday - but I just have too many things requiring me to return home too regularly. Such things as replacing the CB antenna on the RV that got scrubbed off recently, restocking the front deck with firewood (getting low and it's still COLD at night and in the mornings), working on autos, honeydew projects, etc, etc.
I'd been thinking about a 30-miler today looping around Guiterrez Canyon Road and coming back around along Route 66 and back home via Mountain Valley and Frost Road but decided to only do another 10 miles or so and call it good so I could have some time left to get some real work done that has higher priority than me staying in shape on 2 or 3 wheels.
Coming up south on Tumbleweed Road on the way back to Frost Road I encountered a couple of familiar mutts, all of whom love to run to their fences or the end of their tethers and woof at us cyclists. This pair, I noticed for the first time, were a bit old and slow but trying their best to rush to the fence and warn the world about us. Their 'woofs' were a bit muted as they huffed and puffed for breath and they were a bit gray and worn. Reminded me of me. I may start bringing doggie treats on rides.....
Ride Started: 12:16 PM Ride Ended: 2:00 PM
Starting Battery Voltage: 13.0 Ending Voltage: 12.7
Lowest Temp 50 F Highest Temp: 60 F
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles: 10.53
Overall average speed Moving Avg Max Speed
6.6 MPH 7.9 MPH 32.7 MPH
Total Trip time Moving Time Stopped Time
1 hour 35 minutes 1 hour 25 mins 22 mins 0 secs
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
Almost 12 Miles Anyway
(I thought this sign about engine brake use was appropriate)
 |
| Jazzy & Jim |
It was a bit spotty weather-wise this morning but not raining or blowing much at all so I had little excuse for wimping out.
Even though it had been a week since I rode as of yesterday, I am continually amazed at how even an hour or so of riding dramatically changes my metabolism.
Since being laid off from full time work I have gained a couple of inches in pants-waist sizes. When I started riding at least 14 miles yo so many years ago usually 5 times a week ( since I had a regular destination and a good excuse to ride ) I had shrunk from a size 34 waist to size 32. I had a great stock of jeans and cargo pants in that size that have had to go by the wayside since I stopped working and riding daily. If I ever get to that size again I'm sure it will take more than just a few weeks of steady riding.
Howsomever, even with spotty riding, it has dramatic effects. Of course, while riding, my insulin pump has to work much less, and actually has to be set to a lower rate to compensate for the increased calorie and carb-burning going on while riding. My background or basal rate usually is set back to 25% of its normal rate while riding.... and even after the ride is over, for around 12 to 15 hours, I must set the pump to 70% or less to avoid low blood sugar incidents. Also, of course, the increased sense of well-being that settles in after I get back and cooled off.
Jazzy and I had initially planned to do a loop ride around our East Mountain area. The cloudiness kept the weather from being warm, but it was just cool enough to be mild and enjoyable. As we got about an hour into the ride it got so dark and threatening that I decided it wasn't worth the risk of getting soaked and cut the planned route and turned around instead. (Of course, almost an hour after we arrived home, it still hasn't rained.... sigh.)
Jazzy rides in our belly-puppy-pouch and keeps me slightly warmer from her tiny body heat. Most passers-by do double-takes when going past us and Jazzy normally looks up, cranes her neck around my arm, and watches the cars pass when she hears them approaching. When not looking at passers-by, she has the delightful habit of laying her head across the crook of my arm holding the handlebars. She certainly learned early how to manipulate her humans.
Her cuteness, however, almost caused a serious problem for one distracted rubber-necker. We were climbing the hill southbound on Mountain Valley Road and a car pulled up on a driveway entrance to enter the main road. The driver stopped and waited and waited and waited as we climbed toward her, and she only began to pull out and proceed as we passed her and Jazzy was no longer in the driver's field of view. Trouble is, an oncoming car was approaching, HEAD ON toward our hapless puppy-admirer, who evidently was not watching the road at all, since she pulled out slowly right in front of the oncoming car, who hit the brakes and barely missed a collision by only a few feet.
DON'T let ME or Jazzy be your excuse for a dangerous car crash!
Ride Started: 2:02 PM Ride Ended: 3:51 PM
Starting Battery Voltage: 13.8 Ending Voltage: 13.0
Lowest Temp 45 F Highest Temp: 55 F
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles: 12.25
Overall average speed Moving Avg Max Speed
4.9 MPH 7.8 MPH 27.7 MPH
Total Trip time Moving Time Stopped Time
2 hours 31 minutes 1 hour 34 mins 33 mins 4 secs
Monday, March 3, 2014
Magnificent Monday Meandering
Today's Tracking via APRS and Ham Radio
Wow, another whole week between bike rides. It's a wonder why I can't find time enough to stay healthy.
After several weeks of total drought, we had great rains, slow and gentle except for high winds bringing in the storm-clouds.
(Evidently we escaped central Texas just in time last week, as the news reports iced storm-blocked roads with stranded motorists all over I-45).
Everything here is soaked and smelling like recent rain, but our goat-path dirt/rock/ravine road did not suffer much, if any, damage. Even the usual mud puddle at the bottom of the road just before climbing up to the pavement of Frost Road was minimal, with just enough semi-dry car-tire tracks to ride the bike through without getting everything covered in mud.
I had planned to take a selfie of me and Jazzy (our nearly-new pipsqueak puppy) but neglected to do so. Jacque recently found a belly-bag papoose-style doggie carrier that works quite well for the little stinker. She tends to whine and fuss if mounted up in behind us in the basket but does very little complaining (and screaming at othere dogs we encounter while riding) in this belly-pouch.
I also forgot to take any water along, so I cut the ride short at about 10 miles round trip because I didn't want to get too dehydrated.
Beautiful day for riding, though. Just cool enough to keep me mostly comfortable, and without any layers other than street clothing and one of my Jacque-modified glow-yellow tee shirts with the middle cut open and velcro sewed into the resulting seams so I can open and close the shirt as needed for ventilation purposes.
Ride Started: 1:32 PM Ride Ended: 3:27 PM
Starting Battery Voltage: 13.5 Ending Voltage: 13.1
Lowest Temp 45 F Highest Temp: 60 F
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles: 10.34
Overall average speed Moving Avg Max Speed
6.9 MPH 9.0 MPH 26.9 MPH
Total Trip time Moving Time Stopped Time
1 hour 29 minutes 1 hour 8 mins 20 mins 49 secs
Wow, another whole week between bike rides. It's a wonder why I can't find time enough to stay healthy.
After several weeks of total drought, we had great rains, slow and gentle except for high winds bringing in the storm-clouds.
(Evidently we escaped central Texas just in time last week, as the news reports iced storm-blocked roads with stranded motorists all over I-45).
Everything here is soaked and smelling like recent rain, but our goat-path dirt/rock/ravine road did not suffer much, if any, damage. Even the usual mud puddle at the bottom of the road just before climbing up to the pavement of Frost Road was minimal, with just enough semi-dry car-tire tracks to ride the bike through without getting everything covered in mud.
I had planned to take a selfie of me and Jazzy (our nearly-new pipsqueak puppy) but neglected to do so. Jacque recently found a belly-bag papoose-style doggie carrier that works quite well for the little stinker. She tends to whine and fuss if mounted up in behind us in the basket but does very little complaining (and screaming at othere dogs we encounter while riding) in this belly-pouch.
I also forgot to take any water along, so I cut the ride short at about 10 miles round trip because I didn't want to get too dehydrated.
Beautiful day for riding, though. Just cool enough to keep me mostly comfortable, and without any layers other than street clothing and one of my Jacque-modified glow-yellow tee shirts with the middle cut open and velcro sewed into the resulting seams so I can open and close the shirt as needed for ventilation purposes.
Ride Started: 1:32 PM Ride Ended: 3:27 PM
Starting Battery Voltage: 13.5 Ending Voltage: 13.1
Lowest Temp 45 F Highest Temp: 60 F
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles: 10.34
Overall average speed Moving Avg Max Speed
6.9 MPH 9.0 MPH 26.9 MPH
Total Trip time Moving Time Stopped Time
1 hour 29 minutes 1 hour 8 mins 20 mins 49 secs
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